Carborundum Universal Limited Q3 FY23 Earnings Conference Call Insights

Key highlights from Carborundum Universal Limited (CARBORUNIV) Q3 FY23 Earnings Concall

Management Update:

• [00:03:21] CARBORUNIV said the macroeconomic environment had largely been unchanged since the last call, with fears of recession and slowdown not being as strong as anticipated.

• [00:23:18] CARBORUNIV also said AWUKO is expected to post a full year loss of EUR4 million. At the consolidated level, The company anticipates total sales of INR4,500-4,600 crores for the year with a PBIT margin of 5%.

• [00:27:46] CARBORUNIV is confident that Rhodius will add value to CUMI in the long run.

Q&A Highlights:

• [00:28:38] Ravi Swaminathan from Spark Capital enquired about the reason for the muted growth in the Abrasives category, if it’s due to slower end markets or higher imports. N. Ananthaseshan MD said that the Abrasives market saw a slowdown in Q3 due to competition from imports and lower government project spending. The company is focusing on better margin segments to ensure more sustainable growth and margins in the future.

• [00:31:35] Ravi Swaminathan from Spark Capital asked about higher Electro Minerals margins in 3Q and the sustainability of these margins. N. Ananthaseshan MD replied the Electro Minerals business in Russia and India have been doing well, with steady volumes and some pressure on prices. Margins are expected to be around 15%.

• [00:33:14] Sujit Jain from ASK Investment asked about the position in terms of inventory debtor payable days and the debt position. N. Ananthaseshan MD answered that the debt-to-equity ratio at the consolidated level was 0.14 and total debt was INR384 crores. And cash balances, net of borrowings was a net surplus of INR30 crores.

• [00:38:25] Ankur from HDFC Life asked how is the abrasives industry doing overall, and how does it look for Q3 in terms of top line growth. N. Ananthaseshan MD said that 3M Abrasives was hit hard in Q1 and Q2 due to rising raw material costs, but prices have since declined and the precision segment has grown both domestically and in the export market. 3M expects to remain competitive, despite increased competition in this segment.

• [00:42:25] Harshit Patel from Equirus enquired that in India Electro Minerals, what has been the expansion in capacity over last 2 years. N. Ananthaseshan MD replied that pre-COVID capacities were around 30,000 tonnes and during the COVID times, effort was spent to increase that capacity. Indian capacities are now in the region of 60,000-65,000 tonnes per year. Going forward, there is an opportunity to grow in this segment, contingent on getting additional power from the government of Kerala.

• [00:44:40] Harshit Patel from Equirus queried if the Electro Minerals’ PBIT margin will revert to the historical levels of 8-9% when prices cool down. N. Ananthaseshan MD said the commodity prices going down will have a positive impact on purchases, which will result in increased volume and higher contribution margins of 13%-14% instead of 8%-9%.

• [00:45:57] Harshit Patel from Equirus asked about the SiC-based ceramics portfolio, including revenue and margins. N. Ananthaseshan MD replied that the company has been commercially producing and selling RBSiC ceramic parts for 1-1.5 years and has seen success in this market. The company expects to continue growing their business as it explores new applications and increase its volume of sales.

• [00:47:40] Aditya Mongia from Kotak Securities enquired how the Russian facility has grown significantly YoY and how profit numbers have increased 1.5x, and what’s the future of it. N. Ananthaseshan MD said the Russian subsidiary of the company has seen growth in all three of its segments of silicon carbide, ceramics, and abrasives, with mainly strong domestic demand for silicon carbide. Profits have also been boosted by stable raw material and power costs.

• [00:58:52] Sanjaya Satapathy from Ampersand Capital asked that in future if growth will be dependent on acquisitions or product development. N. Ananthaseshan MD answered that the focus will be on getting Rhodius and AWUKO operations running and turning around, as well as keeping an eye out for potential acquisitions in other segments.